1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalyst loading structure and a catalyst loading method for a reactor which is used in oil refining equipment, chemical industry equipment and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in a field of oil refining, chemical industry and the like, diverse catalysts are used to accelerate various chemical reactions, and reactors are extensively used to utilize such catalysts.
As a commonly used reactor, there is a cylindrical type, inside thereof being charged with a granular catalyst. For instance, a cylindrical reactor is installed and a liquid, gas or a mixture of the former two is supplied as a material from one end thereof and let pass through the catalyst to bring the material into contact with the catalyst, then the material, which has undergone a reaction, is taken out from the other end.
In such a reactor, a pressure drop is lower in an area along a side wall than in the catalyst. Hence, the material in the reactor develops the so-called deflected-flow (channeling) phenomenon wherein the material flows deflecting from the central area of the reactor to the side wall.
The deflected-flow phenomenon tends to leave the catalyst at the central area unused and it may cause the catalyst to solidify depending on an operating condition in the absence of the material passing through the catalyst. Furthermore, such solidification adds to the maldistribution of the material and the catalyst, which has solidified in the reactor, cannot be removed unless it is crushed when replacing the catalyst, posing a problem of troublesome replacing work of the used catalyst.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a catalyst loading structure and a catalyst loading method for a reactor which make it difficult for the deflected-flow phenomenon to take place.